The Strand magazine, launched in July 1891, was one of the most successful and influential popular magazines of its time, selling half a million copies a month in its heyday. The first Sherlock Holmes stories were published in the Strand , and such legendary detectives as Hercule Poirot and Father Brown continued to grace its pages until its demise in 1950. Containing 25 classic stories of mystery and detection, this selection includes many rare stories that have never previously been published in book form or included in the author's collected works. In addition to stories by Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, G.K.Chesterton, and Edgar Wallace, there are contributions from more surprising names, including Aldous Huxley and Somerset Maugham.